ANAHEIM | “Leo Carlsson will be a star player in the NHL. I have no doubt. He doesn’t even shave yet, he’s still very young. There are reasons why we make time for him. I hope I can lead him in this league for the next decade. »
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Greg Cronin, the head coach of the Ducks, speaks.
The problem with Carlsson is not his hairiness. At 18, the Swede already has a few hairs on his chin and under his nose. But the Ducks didn’t draft him second overall in the last draft in hopes that he would become the next Brent Burns or David Savard, two men who proudly wear beards.
In Anaheim, the problem with Carlsson is much more in terms of his development. The Swede earned a spot on the team four months after being called up to Nashville, but must follow a strict plan laid out by Pat Verbeek and the Ducks’ sports medicine team.
To help him adapt more smoothly to the hectic pace of NHL games, Carlsson sometimes misses his turns, even when he’s healthy. Before the Canadian’s visit to the Honda Center, the number 91 had watched two of his team’s last four games from the press bridge.
“Yes, it’s hard for me sometimes, but I know it’s part of the plan,” Carlsson admitted in an interview with the Journal after Wednesday’s morning practice in Anaheim. I want to help my teammates in all games. But at the same time I have to trust the team. »
“There is good communication with the Ducks,” he continued. I just had a busy few months with the World Championships, the Combine, the Draft, Development Camp and Ducks Camp. During the summer I had less time to work out in the gym. This is a big reason why I miss a few games. I use this time to gain physical strength. The pace of games in the NHL is different from that in Sweden. However, I like to play at a regular frequency, which keeps you even more in rhythm.”
Already a hat trick
Carlsson, a 6-foot-3, 194-pound center, is already holding his own at the NHL level. In 13 games he scored six goals and provided three assists for nine points.
Jean-François Chaumont – Journal de Montréal
He scored a goal in his first game on October 19 against the Dallas Stars and scored a hat trick in his ninth game in a 6-3 loss to the Flyers on November 10.
“I’m happy with my game,” said number 91. “I have my chances, I’m collecting points, but I still have to improve.” At first it was difficult for me in the face-off circle.”
With a success rate of 23.5%, the word “difficult” isn’t strong enough to illustrate his problems in the faceoff circle. But it’s still typical for an 18-year-old center in the NHL.
Good enough to play
Like Carlsson, Mason McTavish also made his first steps with the Ducks at the age of 18. It was during the 2021-2022 season, a few months after he became the third overall pick in the 2021 draft.
However, McTavish did not play the entire season in Anaheim and returned to Peterborough and Hamilton in the Ontario Junior League. Two years later, he is the Ducks’ offensive engine.
When asked about the plan for Carlsson, McTavish remains somewhat skeptical.
“I understand the plan, but I can tell you that Leo is a very good player and he helps our team win when he plays. I would like to see him in our training at all games. He’s already a big center, he’s not just short and skinny. But he may benefit from more time in the gym to work on his physical strength. »
Cronin doesn’t pull all the strings for Carlsson’s deployment.
“Science is more part of the sport now,” he remembers. We analyze a young person’s development on the ice and in the gym. There are things that science notices that I, as a hockey coach, can’t see. I have no choice but to trust them. »
“Leo understands the situation,” Cronin added. He doesn’t push too hard, he trusts the plan. I believe that going forward it will be a win-win situation for everyone, for Leo and for the Ducks.
In Montreal, the Canadian Juraj Slafkovsky never opted for this approach.
“In my last year in Finland I played 94 games, including international matches,” said Slafkovsky. I have had many encounters in my body. Leo will adapt to the pace of NHL games. But I think the Ducks want to give him more time to work out in the gym. »